This invention relates to the problem of segregating an area of a garden or landscape scheme from a dissimilar neighboring landscape. In particular, the invention also relates to the problems that arise when the moisture requirements of one section of a garden or landscape scheme are different from the neighboring landscape.
There are numerous domestic and commercial applications in which it is desirable to separate dissimilar forms of vegetation, or landscape schemes. Of the various applications, there are numerous reasons for the need to separate landscape schemes including aesthetics, incompatibility with neighboring vegetation, and differences in climatic requirements.
There are a number of well-known landscape barrier systems currently available including wooden logs, flexible metal strips, flexible plastic strips, clay forms, stone, and brick. All of these systems are known to satisfactorily segregate the landscape schemes with certain differences noted in their overall performances.
A primary limitation of the existing systems is their inability to address the problem that arises when segregated landscape schemes have different moisture requirements. The traditional solution is for the landscaper to install a sprinkler system directed exclusively towards the moisture demanding landscape scheme. This requires substantial time, effort, and expense. Very often, the segregated landscape scheme occupies too small of an area to justify or physically allow for a sprinkler system installation. In these cases, the vegetation may suffer from improper watering.
In carrying out the principles of the present invention, in accordance with the preferred embodiment thereof, a landscape barrier device is provided which is used by positioning like sections of the device end-to-end, immediately adjacent to each other. This method of placement forms a contiguous row of device sections along the path for which segregation of the landscape schemes is desired. The top section of the device contains a hollow passage into which a pipe or hose is installed such that it extends through the entire length of the contiguous row of device sections. On one end of the pipe or hose, a water supply is connected. The opposite end of the pipe or hose is capped or plugged. There is a plurality of flow ports located in a top section of the device. The landscaper installs self-sealing emitters into the flow ports, so that the emitters penetrate and seal against the pipe or hose. The installation of the emitters opens a passage in the pipe or hose contiguous with the hollow interior of the emitters so that water flowing through the pipe or hose will be directed out through the emitters in their location in the flow ports and onto the landscape scheme. Nozzles may be attached to the emitters to provide distributed spray patterns to the landscape scheme. Conduits of various lengths may be place between the emitters and nozzles to adjust the height of the distributed spray patterns above certain landscape schemes. Also disclosed is the method of making a landscape barrier device including the steps of mixing a clay mud, extruding the clay mud mixture through a die of a predetermined shape to form an elongated extrusion, forming at least one elongated hole throughout the length of the extrusion, cutting the extrusion into predetermined lengths, and heating the lengths of extrusion to cure the clay.